Tuesday, 20 October 2015

Five best... subscription boxes

Tiny man has officially gone off sleep. For the past few weeks, he's been waking up throughout the night to gurgle, whimper, demand food, cry, or just say hi. And it's making me pretty tired every morning.But one thing has been putting a smile on my grumpy AM face: the arrival of the postman. Because as well as his usual sheaf of bills, over the past month he's been bringing subscription boxes for me to try. And I've come to realise they're the best thing any new mama could hope to receive.Some are baby-focused, some are you-focused, some are a mixture... but all are an amazing surprise to get through the door each month. Here are my five best:

This was one of my favourites: a monthly delivery of pretty greetings cards, (and stamps if you want, at Post Office prices), ready for you to send. At £7.50 a month for three cards, it's not exactly budget, but the cards are the beautiful type you find for £3.50 each in Paperchase, all created by cool illustrators - and since you get cards, envelopes and the stamps altogether, they take the stress out of remembering birthdays/anniversaries etc. Nowadays when I actually get round to buying and writing cards, they sit in my handbag unstamped for ages. This makes it easy to be a good friend - although the cards are so nice you might want to keep them for yourself. AND with discount code OUTOFWOMB50 you can nab a 50% discount off your first month's cards and stamps.

A company set up based on the idea that buying gifts that last longer than a bunch of tulips wins top marks: Death to Flowers sent me a cute new-mum box which costs £30. It came in a posh black, magnet-opening box, and contained a knitted carrot rattle that tiny man likes to shake, a delicious big slab of caramel chocolate, a fig bath bomb, organic sleep-inducing balm for babies aged three months-plus, and a tiny music box that plays 'Congratulations'. They're all small, well-made items and treats that you probably wouldn't buy yourself - the mark of a great gift!* GlossyBox

If you know, or are, a pregnant woman who's worried that baby life means the end of ever looking nice or being glam, this is the subscription for her. Each month, you receive an edit of niche beauty "heroes" - for hassle-free me-time in a box. It costs £28.50 (+P&P) for a three-month subscription, or £54 (+P&P) for six months, although look around for offers as there are lots online that take the price right down. My Autumn GlossyBox included an amazing moisturiser - Talika’s Photo-Hydra Day cream - to counter the double-nastiness of central heating / cold walks on skin, and Lanolips, a lip balm whose main ingredient might remind you off a certain nipple cream: it's lanolin. Then there's a blending "Nicka K Airbrush" sponge, Jelly Pong Pong mascara and eye-outlining So Susan Highlighter Pen .. which I really need in the current sleepless situation!* Almondella

If you think there's something Scandi-cool about Almondella's baby and children's monthly boxes, you're close: it's a Finnish company based on the idea that whilst parents there receive a “starter pack” to help them care for their newborns, this is based around each baby’s learning and development month by month. The emphasis is on environmentally-conscious and creative brands, so lots of the items look straight-out-of-Anthropologie cool. I received the weaning box, which is £18.50 (or more if you also opt for the t-shirt or leggings) and included a pretty, organic cotton bib by Studio Roof , a glass baby food bowl, with lid, a soft silicon spoon set by NUK and some funky stripy-print unisex leggings.. the ideal way to help your baby to start enjoying food and to fit into those cute leggings!OK, it has come to my attention these are four boxes, not the five in the title. Sorry.. I blame that tiredness again..

* Boxes sent to Run out of Womb for review. Rest assured, though, that I'm seriously gobby and would never rave about something that's rubbish.